


Tuesday Afternoon at Luke's Diner

by Wonderlandleighleigh



Series: Boarding School Buddies [37]
Category: Batman (Comics), Castle, Gilmore Girls, Iron Man (Movies)
Genre: Gen, The Past
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-02
Updated: 2017-08-02
Packaged: 2018-12-10 06:58:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11686425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wonderlandleighleigh/pseuds/Wonderlandleighleigh
Summary: Luke meets Bruce, Tony and Rick for the first time, as Bruce comes home from 8 years of traveling and training.





	Tuesday Afternoon at Luke's Diner

The diner's door swings open and an incredibly well-dressed man steps inside. He's tall; much taller than Luke. He looks around with sharp blue eyes, obviously looking for someone and then looks to the counter. "Excuse me." 

"Yeah," Luke says, without looking up. 

"I'm waiting for some friends, can I just-" 

"Have a seat wherever you like," Luke tells him. "Three PM on a Tuesday, it's not exactly a packed house." He looks up. He knows this is Bruce Wayne. Everybody and their grandmother knows who Bruce Wayne is, but eh. "Get you some coffee?" 

"Thank you," Wayne says, and then takes a seat at a four-top. 

Luke pours the coffee into a mug and then sets it in front of him. "Lemme know if you need anything." 

Wayne looks up at him and gives a curt nod. "Thank you." 

It's quiet after that for a while. Wayne sips his coffee and gives the menu a glance, and then fifteen minutes later, two more men walk in.

One is a little on the short side. Dark hair, goatee and mustache, dark dark sunglasses and good god, he's Tony Stark.

Luke is a little struck by it; Tony frickin' Stark just walked into his diner.

Following him closely is a taller man with brown hair and a kind, handsome face, who spots Wayne and grins. "There he is." 

Wayne gets to his feet and grins a little. "Hi, guys." 

Stark shakes his head. "You son of a bitch." He walks up and wraps his arms around Wayne, who frowns at the other man.

"Is he still drunk, Rick?" 

"What do you mean still?" Stark snaps. 

"You're wearing your sunglasses inside," Wayne points out. "A little bright for you, Stark?" 

"Shut up. I haven't seen you in eight years." 

Luke watches them for a moment, talking easily and quietly, Stark and Wayne not at all like the entertainment news and tabloids make them out to be (not that he pays attention). Just friends, catching up.

He walks over after all three have taken a seat. "Coffee?" 

"Please," the man who Luke doesn't recognize, Rick, says with a grin. He nods to Stark. "He'll have three." 

"Do they have beer here?" Stark asks, looking around like a restless eight-year-old.

"It's a diner, Tony," Wayne says to him. 

"Lemme know when you're ready to order," Luke tells them.

"Oh, we're still waiting on one more," Stark says. "She's late." 

"You're usually the late one," Wayne jokes. 

"Well, I drove," Rick says. "So we're on time." 

“I can be punctual if I want to be,” Stark grumbles, crossing his arms petulantly. 

The door opens again, and Lorelai Gilmore dashes in quickly. 

“Unlike some people,” Stark finished. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Lorelai cries as she barrels over and hugs each of them. 

Luke watches as Wayne gets to his feet and wraps her in a tight hug. It’s kind of intimate, and Luke feels a little bad for watching, but not so bad. 

“So?” Lorelai asks, pulling away, looking a little teary-eyed. “Eight years later, how do you feel? You look great. You look like one giant muscle.” 

“I feel fine,” he says reassuringly. “You look well. How is Rory?” 

“She’s good, she’s at school,” Lorelai says. “She’s ten now, but she acts like she’s fifty, so.” 

“I’m glad she’s well,” Bruce says kindly. 

They all sit, and Lorelai looks over at Luke then, smiling. She gets up and walks to the counter. “So hi.” 

“Hey. Uh...you got some fancy friends there,” Luke points out awkwardly. 

Lorelai Gilmore’s been coming to the diner for about two years now, mostly for the coffee, but for the food, too. And the banter.

Whether it’s flirting or not, Luke still has no idea. 

“Yeah, they are pretty fancy, until you realize that Tony sometimes turns in circles trying to see his own ass and Bruce is a snotty sneezer.” 

Luke wrinkles his nose. 

“Not so fancy now, huh?” Lorelai jokes.

He shakes his head. “Coffee?” 

“Yeah, please. And can we get some french fries for the table?” 

“Course,” Luke nods, grabbing a coffee cup for her. “So uh...you and them...you’re just friends, or…?” 

Lorelai tilts her head. “Just friends. We went to school together and we never really got around to growing apart, so we’re kind of stuck with each other.” 

“Huh.” 

She smiles at him as he hands her the mug of coffee. 

“Fries’ll be out soon,” he promises, and she nods her thanks before heading back to the table. 

He hears them talking; about Rory and about Rick’s kid, and about Wayne’s travels, and Stark’s inventions. About parties and parents, and when Luke sets the basket of fries in the center of the table, they all look up at him kindly and politely. 

“Thank you,” Wayne says. 

“Guys, this is Luke,” Lorelai says. “He owns the diner, and he’s been a really good friend to me and Rory since we moved into the house.” 

“Which I can’t wait to see, by the way,” Bruce says. “I’m so relieved.” 

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Lorelai waves a hand. 

Luke grins a little, amused. “Anything else I can get you guys?” 

“Burger!” Lorelai cries. “Uhm...bacon, pickles, mayo and ketchup and mustard and extra cheese.” 

Luke looks pained. “What about a salad? What’s wrong with a salad?” 

“I’ll have a salad,” Wayne says. “Diced chicken, lean if you have it, tomato, and carrots with oil and vinegar.” 

“That is the most unsatisfying lunch I’ve ever heard in my life,” Stark says. “I’ll have what Lorelai’s having, and if you can add tomato and onion rings to mine, that’d be great.” 

“Ooooo onion rings.” 

Rick laughs softly. “I’m just gonna have the chicken salad wrap.” 

Luke nods and jots it all down. “Comin up.”


End file.
